Mooring mast for airships



V. H. DILL MORING MAST FOR AIRSHIPS Nov. 17, 1925- Filed June 9, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IMA W Nov. 17, 1925:

' V. H. DILL MOORING MAST FOR AIRsHIPs Filed June 9,` 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 fzln/manioc J/ Y I V. H. DILL MOORING MAST FOR AIRSHIPS Filed June` 9, 1923 4 Sheets-Shed 4;

mv. mmt# I -il |H,\ ILMmWMw I hm @RMN - M 54 w M *VV Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

' UNITED sTATEs VICTOR H. DILL, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

1,562,310 PATENT oFFlc MOORING MAST FOR IRSHIPS.

' Application led .Tune 9,

I an airship, particularly of the lighterthan air type, toa mast, the construction em-l i bodymg means whereby the usual rolling and pitching movements of the craft are provided for, the mooring mechanismcounterbalanced. and the mast as a whole vbeing adapted for easy assembly, erection and demounting.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement herein fully described, shown and claimed.

In the accompan ing drawings- Figure 1 is a si e elevation of the mast complete 'with all its equipment, showing the means for bracing or staying the mast 'andalso showing a shock absorbing as:

semblyl for the anchor line of the airship;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation, partly in section of the mast head, bumper head and upper portion ofthe mast showing also the bumper ring and its supporting means, to ether with the anchor line and the nose portion of a dirigible;

Figure 3 is a further enlarged longitudinal section through the bumper head and adjacent parts;

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical diametriplal section through` the mast cap and mast ea Y Figure 5 is a section through the mast head taken at a right angle to Figure. 4; V.Figure 6 is .a plan-view, partly in4 sectlon, of another form of bumper head;

Figure 7 is a side view of the same partly in section.

Referring first to vFigure 1 of the drawf ings, 10 represents the mast proper whichmay be of any suitable height and which is preferably made in separable sections connected by suitable joints 11. The mast` 10 has at its lower end a dove-tail shaped block 12 which is removably seated in a. mast step v13 supported by a foot block 14, shown em- 1923. serial N o. 644,482.

bedded or set into the ground. Guysl 15 extend from the mast ca the mast downwardly and) outwardly/to the ground where theyy are secured to suitable ground anchors 17.

v16 at the top of Bracing lin'es 18 extend fromlugs 19 on the'base ofthe mast to coupling members 201 which-connect into the 4guys 15" at points intermediate 'the l length thereof.

Referring now more particularly toFigures 2, 3, 4 and 5, the cap- 16 is of tubular orhollow formation, as `best shown vin yFi ure 4,

and' hasmounted therein a mast hea 21, of

and is mounted in anti-friction supporting radial,thrust-"anti-friction bearin s 23 and 24. The mast head 21 is held against l'ongi,

tudinal movement within the mast cap by means of a'. key 25'shown-in the form of a screw, the inner end of which is reduced to form a an anO'u ar groove 27 in the lower end portion ol? ther-journal 21 of the masthead. The mast cap 1.6, is formed with a `headjlange 28 bymeans of which i-t is secured rigidly to the top of the 'mast 10, a langef29 ex- I tendingaround the mast head 21 just above the mast cap 16 excludes the ,weather. will vnow be observed that vthe mast head 21 pin-like projection 26 -whichlies in,

is capable of complete rot-ation around a.A vertical axis while supported and retained-v body '31; of cylindrical `formation, having one I.

end thereofreduced to form a s indle-lilae portion 32 which is.surrounded y a loose s1eeve.33.formingtheghuboffa s ider-whichs carries the bumper ring, hereina er referred to. The sleeve- 33 is held in place between and is capable of being removed by the dis- -bearing shoulders and bushings 34 and 35 10 placement of a stud collar 36 held around the end ofthe spindle portion 32 by a screw 37 or equivalent fastening device. Connected by pivots 38 to lugs 39 arranged in a circular series around the sleeve 33, are

vspider arms 40, the arrangement or which is clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2. The

elbow formation and hollow or tubular'in Y. order to lallowjthe anchor line, hereinafter' L referred to,to pass' therethrough. The mast head21, luisa cylindrical or journal portion 22 which extends throughthemastca'pf16' 75 bearings 22` andv also in top and ,bottom l s esfif The burn er, head 30, in the preferred i form thereo g comprises a hollow or tubularl outer extremities of the spider arms 40 are i connected by fasteners 41 to a bumper supporting ring 42 which may be formed of angle iron divided into two parts for convenient assembly.V Seated in the bumper ring 42 is an annular'cushion or bumper ring 43 comprising a tubular casing, as illustrated in Figure 2, said casing being stuffed with cushioning material, such, for example, as horse hair. The gas bag or aerostat 44 of the airship is shown as provided with an impact ring 44 of spruce or other suitable material adapted to rest in contact with the bumper cushion 43 whenl held by the anchor line which is shown at 45.

The anchor -line 45 is shown as having a bridle 46, the extremities of which are attached at 47 to the bag 44. The anchor line 46 .passes through a small guide ring 48 from which stays 49 extend outwardly where they are attached at 50 to the bumper ring 42. Yieldable means, such as spring 51, are

incorporated in the stays 49 to provide flexibility and enable the ring 48 to accommodate itself to the bridle 46. This enables the 'gas bag to be held snugly and yet flexibly,l

against the bumper ring. The spider arms are further. strengthened by braces 52 secured at their inner ends to the sleeve 33 and at their outer extremities to said spider arms, as clearly shown-in Figure 2.

The anchor cable extends from the bag through the eye 48 and into the bumper head where it passes around a sheave 53 having a rooved periphery 54, as shown in Fi ure 5. @he shaft 55 of the sheave is carried y the mast head 16, asbest shown in Figure 2, so that the periphery of the sheave 1s in line l with the longitudinal centers of the mast cap and they bumper head, or in other words the periphery of the sheave is maintained at all times in lthe'pitch line of the anchor line. This'is clearly shown in Figure 2. The anchor line 45, after passing around the sheave 53 extends downwardly through the center of the mast, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and under a guide pulley 56 adjacent to the bottom of the mast and thence laterally around a shock absorbing assembly, designated generally at 57 and not particularly described as it forms no part of the present invention. The bumper head 30, at its rear end, `is formed with a socket 58 into which is inserted one end of a counter-weight arm .y 59 held in the socket 58 by suitable fasteners 60, such as a pin or bolt. The counterweight arm is adapted to receive any number of weights 61 sufficient to counterbalance the weight of the bumper ring and its cushion and the spider arms 40. In this waythe bumper head is perfectly balanced so that it may freely accommodate itself to the pitching and rolling movements of the dirigible or airship.

i In Figures 6 and 7, there is illustrated a `Micaela modified form of bumperv head,the same be;

shown in the proce-ding' ments of the airship, giving greater freedom and flexibility and thereby more securely and safely mooring the ship.

The complete structure, by reason of the construction described, is capable of being quickly erected and taken down and furthermore, the parts thereof may be easily disconnected and the whole 'device compactly ,stored and made ready for transportation in a motor truck or vehicle. Due to the particular manner of .mounting the mast head and bumper head and also due to the special arrangement of the sheavel 53, the length of 'the anchor line is kept practically constant, thus avoiding a checking action on the part ofsaid anchor line should the bumper head oscillate under the ducking action of the airship. The mast head is free to rotate vabout a vertical axis so that the airship is held head on to the wind irrespective of the direction in which the Wind is blowing.

I claiml l. An airship mooring mast embodying a mast, a mast head rotatable on a vertical axis at the top of the mast, a bumper head pivotally mounted on the mast head on a horizontal axis, said bumper head being balanced u on said' pivot and an anchor line reeved tirough the mast, mast head and bumper head.

2. An airship mooring mast embodyingr a mast, a mast head rotatable on a vertical .axis at the top of the mast, a bumper head pivotally mounted on the mast head on a horizontal axis, said bumper head being balanced upon said pivot and an anchor line reeved through the mast, mast head. and bumper head, the mast head and bumper head 'being of tubular formation to admit the anchor line.

3. An airship mooring mast embodying a mast, a mast head rotatable on a vertical axis at the topof the mast, a bumper head pivotally7 mounted on the mast head on a horizontal axis, counterbalancing means fo'.' said bumper head, and an anchor line reeved through the mast, mast head and bumper head. l

4. An airship mooring mast embodying a mast, a mast head rotatable on a vertical axis at the top of the mast, a bumper head pivotally mounted on the mast head on a orizont'al axis, a bumper ring revolvable on horizontal axis,

said bumper head, a cushioning ring carried by the bumper head, and an anchor line reeved through the mast, mast head' and ,bumper head.

6. An airship mooring mast embodying a mast, a mast head rotatable on a vertical axis at the 'top of the mast, a bumper head 'pivotally mounted on the masthead on a horizontal axis, a revolvable bumper ring carried b the bumper head, and an anchor line reeve through the mast, mast head and bumper head.

7. An airship mooring mast embodying a mast, a mastrhead rotatable on a vertical axis at the top of the mast, a bumper head pivotally mounted on the mast head on a a bumper ring carried by said bumper head, a guide ring supported centrally of the bumper ring, and an anchor' line reeved through themast head, bumper head and saidguide ring. v Y 8. An airshlp mooring mast embodying -a mast, a mast head rotatable on a vertical axisat the top ofthe mast,a bumper head pivotally mountedon the mast head on a horizontal axis, a bumper ring carried by said bumper head, aguide ring supported `anchor line reeved thro centrally of the bumper ring, yieldable supporting means for said guide ring, and an gh the masthead, bumper head and said `gulde ring.

9. An airship mooring mast embodying a mast, a hollow mast head rotatable on a vertical axis vat the top of the mast, a hollour bumper head pix` )tall mountedfon the mast head on a horizonta axis, an anchor line reeved through the masthead and bumper head, and a guide sheave located adjacent to the pivot point of the bumper head to direct tie anchor line in its running movements.

10. An airship mooring'mast embodyingvertical axis at the top of the mast, a hollovv bumper head pivotally mounted on the mast head on a horizontal axis, an anchor line reeved through the mast head and bumper head, and a guide sheave for the anchor line having its periphery 'Working in the pitch line of said anchor line.

11. An airship mooring mast embodying a mast, a mast head rotatable on a vertical axis at the top of the mast, a bumper head pivotally mounted on the masthead on a iorizontal axis, means for counterbalancing said bumper head, spider arms extending from said bumper head, a bumper'ring carried by `mid arms, and an anchor' line reeved {Ihrough the mast, mast head and bumper In testmony whereof I aiix my signature- VICTOR/H; DILL.

:so a mast, a hollow mast head rotatable on. a., 

